Veteran of the Stonewall riots, activist and trans woman of color Miss Major Griffin-Gracy suffered a stroke last week, but is now recovering.
Although best known for her role in the Stonewall uprising, the 78-year-old founded the House of GG, an educational retreat and historical centre dedicated to transgender and gender non-conforming Americans.
She also led the Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP) which works to “challenge and end the human rights abuses committed against TGI people in California prisons, jails, detention centres and beyond.”
COO of the House of GG Sharyn Grayson posted on the organization’s Facebook page on Thursday (July 4) to confirm Griffin-Gracy’s condition.
She wrote: “Thank you for your continued support and love for this amazing woman…and our international TLGBQ matriarch. We know that through God’s grace and your prayers…the victory shall be ours and your dear “Mama Major” will…Still be F****** Here!!!”
An update on Saturday (July 6) said that her improvement was “most inspirational and amazing,” and that she was starting to seem “just like her old self.”
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy is recovering from a stroke.
Beck Witt, retreat coordinator for House of GG posted a picture of the trans icon on Facebook yesterday (July 9) and said: “Thanks for the huge outpouring of love. Major is about to transfer to inpatient acute rehab today.
“She still has weakness on right side and slurred speech but she was singing along to music and smiling this morning.”
A fundraising page was set up to raise money for “medical bills and care for Miss Major after her recent hospitalization.” It has already raised almost $70,000.
Griffin-Gracy is also the subject of the 2015 documentary MAJOR! which follows her life and her 40-year history of fighting for trans rights.